Italian experience is just the job for Mill Road crew
DUNDALK Rugby Club sent four teams to Vimercate in Italy to compete in an international Mini Rugby tournament.
Clubs from Italy, France, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Czech Republic participated across four age groups from under 6, to under 12.
Dundalk had two teams in both the under 10 and the under 12 competitions and were expecting to do well in both.
The weekend began for the travelling party of 130 people with an early morning flight to Milan on Thursday. They arrived at their base outside Monza in the early afternoon where they rested and prepared for the weekend’s activities ahead.
Friday was a free day for the squads, so players and their par- ents took the opportunity to relax and visit local attractions such as the Monza Formula 1 racing circuit or the San Siro stadium in Milan.
Official events began that evening with a reception for all teams at the rugby club where players were welcomed to Vimercate by the local Mayor.
A highlight of the evening was the two squads from Dundalk breaking into an unscheduled rendition of ‘Ireland’s Call’ to rapturous applause from people in attendance.
The tournament itself began formally with the Opening Ceremony and the playing of the national anthems for all countries represented.
The Irish flags being flown by the Dundalk team ensured that the large crowd in attendance were aware of which country the Sharks were representing. With the formal proceedings over, it was finally time to get into action.
The format of the competition was that all teams would play in a round-robin league in the morning and depending on their placings, they would then play for final classifications in the afternoon. The Under 10s had two teams playing in the groups of five teams which meant that both teams had four matches.
Team A were unlucky to find themselves in a particularly difficult group with high performing teams that would later rank highly in the overall classifications.
Meanwhile Team B were also playing very well and were in contention for a leading position until the last game when they were just beaten by an excellent team from France.
The afternoon matches again
saw both teams perform very well and eventually both teams finished the day in the middle of the classifications.
The Under 12 teams faced a similar format but they were playing in groups of four teams. Dundalk B had the worst draw of all four teams and struggled against highclass opposition in their group, although they performed very well in every game in challenging circumstances.
They were eventually rewarded for their endeavours with a handsome victory to finish the day and their heads high for what they had collectively achieved.
Dundalk A had a superb opening two games with handsome victories which included one of the tries of the tournament when a superb grubber kick behind the opposition defence saw the Dundalk winger running blindside to collect the ball and score unopposed.
Dundalk hoped to top their section by beating one of the tournament favourites in the final group game and in a superb game of rugby, the French opposition scored an opportunist try late in the game to win by one try to nil. It was bitterly disappointing, but the team rallied manfully in the afternoon games to secure 6th place overall in the tournament which was an excellent outcome given the quality of teams involved.
The players performed wonderfully throughout the day and played with great spirit and sportsmanship. They were a credit to their coaches and to their parents who could be justifiably proud of their playing abilities and team ethos.
Each of the teams were acknowledged by the organisers for their contribution to the tournament and made a presentation of a plaque to the head coaches of the Under 10 and Under 12 squads.
The squads flew home on Sunday morning on the official plane of the Irish rugby team which was a wonderful moment for all involved.
The weekend strengthened the bonds of the team and gave the young players memories that will stay with them throughout their lives.
Full credit must be given to all the coaches involved in both squads who give so much time and commitment to developing these young players and to the many parents who spent hours fundraising and organising the trip.
It was a tremendous team effort by everyone involved and Dundalk can be very proud of how they represented the club and the town.